It's good to see Zeca Schall, a black politician in eastern Germany, who campaigns for the CDU party even though he is being harassed by members of the far-right party NPD. Life in East Germany can be rough. I studied not far from Chemnitz in a small town called Mittweida, for three years. I remember taking my bike every time I went out to party to avoid groups of Neo Nazis. Eventually, nothing really happened to me but I know students who were beaten up. People of every color feel threatened by the Neo Nazis in East Germany. If you don't sympathize with the far-right party, you are a potential victim of discrimination.Mittweida was and still is known for being home of "Sturm 34", a Neo Nazi group which is defined as being unconstitutional by the German government. far-right parties have no difficulties, especially in East Germany, to recruit young people. They organize events, parties and other activities which makes them feel as being part of the society. The population in eastern Germany is much less compared to the states in western Germany, but the stagnating growth of productivity throughout all branches of the economy results to a high unemployment rate and a youth with no perspective. The very well organized far-right goups blame foreigners for being the root of all problems even though there are fewer people with a migration background living in eastern Germany than anywhere else in Germany. In Sachsen, the state of Mittweida people with migration background make up 6 percent of the population. In Berlin, the largest city in eastern Germany, people with migration background make up 25 percent. It's time for Germany to face the problem, and hopefully this is a first step towards a change.
Read the article & interview with Zeca schall at www.spiegel.de
More stories on my life in East Germany coming soon..
No comments:
Post a Comment